Tag Archives: Robert Forster

LA MARATHON EARLY SEASON CHECKLIST

Early Season Checklist:

The 2019 Skechers Los Angeles Marathon© is just 15 weeks away!

“Off Season” training is misconstrued by many to mean training that is somehow less important than “in season” or competitive season training.

Perhaps because the early season low-intensity training is less painful, it is thought to be less important. The concept that only “hard” work produces significant gains in fitness and the greatest rewards in performance is incorrect.

It may also be that Base Training benefits are not immediately obvious. A lot is happening below the skin and improvements are not readily apparent. In fact, the low-intensity “Base Training” is where your most significant fitness growth will come. Impatient athletes may want to rush the early season preparation and get to the “hard stuff” too soon.

Developing fitness is a recipe where adding intensity too early will ruin the final product. In fact, to the extent you develop Base Fitness in the early season will dictate the extent of your peak fitness later. Like a pyramid-shaped building where the foundation needs to be broader than the upper floors the Base fitness you develop early on must be broader than the ensuing layers of fitness you apply. For these reasons it’s important for the runner to intellectually understand the science happening under the skin.

RUNNING

Most athletes have by now been exposed to some elements of Periodization Training ideology and have incorporated these principles into their training.

The Eastern European concept of breaking the training year into cycles or phases is not as foreign as it once was and athletes now realize it’s the most effective way to train. Furthermore, most understand the importance of a preparatory phase to precede the harder work that follows. However, confusion still exists as to what needs to be accomplished in the Base Training phase of their yearly program.

Developed by Soviet Era Sports Scientists during the Cold War, Periodization Training was developed in an attempt to dominate the world of sport. Specifically designed to avoid the performance plateaus and mental burnout in communist athletes, Periodization Principles were the result of controlled research techniques. In research, controlling variables is paramount and behind the Iron Curtain the Soviets were able to do so with impunity.

Each country began, of course, with ethnically homogenous groups (Russians, Bulgarians, Germans, etc.) they then “centralized” their promising young athletes to isolated training facilities. Able to control diet, sleep and environment while ignoring research edicts regarding things like consent, they manipulated exercise stimulus in search of the most effective training program design. The results may have been ethically corrupt but proved to be scientifically sound. What emerged is a model of human adaptation that provides predictable outcomes when exercise is orchestrated in a scientifically rational sequence.

“FIRST THINGS FIRST”

Research from around the world has confirmed that development of substantial physiological infrastructure must precede the hard work of the competitive phase. Without the necessary infrastructure developed through Base Training, the hard work to prepare for competition will not be as effective and in fact may not be tolerated at all but instead lead to injury or illness.

Signs of inadequate Base Training include inconsistent performances, failure to achieve optimal competition body weight (fat loss or muscle gain), frequent illness or injury, chronic fatigue and poor attitude and focus. In twenty years of designing programs I have found that athletes who wish to perform well consistently, avoid injury and reach their greatest potential, must be scientific in their approach to Base Training.

To achieve this, there are two distinct areas of preparation to be considered – Metabolic Fitness and Structural Integrity.

Metabolic fitness translates to optimal cellular physiology in all the applicable systems of internal bodily functions: cardiovascular system, pulmonary system (lungs), nervous system, endocrine system (hormonal system), and the energy production systems in the muscles themselves. Structural integrity speaks to the resiliency of the mechanical structures of the body. This includes: muscles, tendons, fascia, ligaments, and bone. This aspect of Base Training is the least understood and most underdeveloped in recreational and competitive age group athletes. Too often an athlete in pursuit of optimal cellular fitness is sabotaged by insufficient structural preparation. As you ramp up the intensity of training you will need a strong foundation of physiological and physical infrastructure.

METABOLIC FITNESS

The main limiting factors of metabolic fitness prove to be the circulatory system and energy production within the muscle cells themselves. (Improved heart and lung function and neurological adaptation to exercise occur more readily). Early season low-intensity workouts promote better vascularization of the muscles. By working the muscle at low-intensity (aerobic range) the blood vessels open as demand for oxygen increases. This stimulates a profusion or growth of the smallest blood vessels (called capillaries) into the working muscles. This “capillarization” is the vascular infrastructure that will be necessary later when the increased work demands of interval training taxes the working muscles and requires a more efficient system to deliver oxygen and nutrients and remove carbon dioxide and waste products. This process of vascular growth takes 8-12 weeks and requires that exercise intensity remains low!

The second metabolic adaptation necessary in Base Training is an increase of the muscle cells aerobic energy production factories called mitochondria. These small powerhouse structures use fats and oxygen to make energy while not producing fatigue causing lactic acid and waste. Again, the stimulus for growth is low-intensity exercise of increasing duration.

The body will meet the demand for aerobic energy production by increasing the number of mitochondria in each muscle cell. However, any intense exercise will cause the body to meet these demands through anaerobic energy production and thwart your pursuit of aerobic efficiency.

Here lies the secret to vast improvements in performance. The aerobic machine can and should be developed to a much higher degree than most athletes are aware. Conversely, the improvements in anaerobic energy production are more limited. The challenges for athletes and coaches are determining the proper intensity of training to develop the aerobic energy system and secondly to determine when it is adequately developed. Heretofore, intensity of training was determined by simple (220 – age x 65%) and more complicated (maffetone) formulas that are really just guess work.

Fortunately, we now are able to use Scientific Metabolic Testing to measure exactly where lactate levels increase in the blood and therefore when energy production is primarily aerobic and at what level of exertion a more significant contribution from anaerobic energy machines occurs.

Determining this Aerobic Threshold is paramount in determining the proper intensity of work in the Base Training phase.

VO2 testing by the expired gas method is the standard in fitness testing. This technology gives accurate, reproducible data that is reliable in determining both the heart rate zones and power production levels of which you need to train to enhance your aerobic energy production capabilities. Once developed to the proper extent you will train better, have an easier time recovering and perform consistently throughout the year.

Whether you compete in sprint triathlons, the Ironman, or the LA Marathon, building a monster aerobic system will serve you best. Aerobic training will develop your ability to produce more power (speed) while burning fats, which are in abundant supply, and thus sparing the limited stores of carbohydrates in your body. Higher intensity exercise (anaerobic) begins to burn precious carbohydrate and after they are gone (BONK!!) your day is over! In addition, relying on more of your power from the anaerobic energy systems results in fatigue producing lactic acid production.

These aerobic system adaptations require extended periods of low intensity exercise and can be seriously sidetracked with even an occasional bout of higher intensity work!

STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

Here as well, what happens under the skin is crucial to athletic success. During Base Training the well-conditioned athlete must develop physical and mechanical infrastructure to withstand the arduous task of hill work and interval training that comes later in the Periodization training phases.

The forces developed in these harder workouts put great demands on joints, bones, tendons and fascia. The early season Base training must address two primary areas of structural development: Biomechanical Efficiency and Musculoskeletal Resiliency.

Running the marathon requires a high degree of mechanical efficiency in terms of sound technique and form. Optimal running technique affords the well-trained athlete two advantages. First, proper technique provides the greatest economy in energy expenditure possible, i.e., movement that produces the greatest power for the lowest cost in energy. Secondly, proper technique avoids excessive stress on tendons, fascia, joints and bones.

Conversely, faulty technique wastes precious energy and overtaxes the mechanical parts of your body. Specifically, poor technique leads to early fatigue and further breakdown in the technique, which results in poor performance and puts stress on bodily structures resulting in injury. Developing proper technique in Base Training involves a sound flexibility program, weight training, and drills.

FLEXIBILITY TRAINING

Flexibility is defined as the range of motion of bones around a joint. Bones must have the freedom of movement to be positioned just right in the sequence of sport motion we call “proper technique”.

Without adequate flexibility the muscles work overtime in an attempt to attain the best position of the bones. The muscles have to work harder as they fight the limiting effects of inflexibility. This exacts a cost on energy demands which accumulates during a race and as a result fatigue sets in and performance suffers. Regular stretching will improve flexibility and promote efficiency while avoiding injury. (In addition, stretching promotes recovery).

A well-designed flexibility program addresses each of the major muscle groups in positions that promote relaxation of the muscles and associated structures and allows for ease of breathing. The target of your stretching program is the connective tissue elements of the muscular system not the fibers themselves.

The red-blood rich muscle fibers are elastic and will stretch without much resistance. Surrounding each muscle fiber and wrapping the muscles into bundles is the white connective tissue, which inhibits range of motion. Additionally, connective tissue is the material of tendons, (which attach muscles to bones), and comprises ligaments, (which attach bones to bones at the joint). Connective tissue is not immediately elastic and requires the application of slow sustained stretching to lengthen. Permanent lengthening of these structures equates to good flexibility and you are therefore one step closer to good technique.

STRENGTH TRAINING WEIGHTS AND PERFORMANCE

Done properly, strength training for the endurance athlete is in many ways the quickest way to achieve the structural goals of the Base Training Phase of training: Joint Stability and Musculoskeletal Resiliency.

Using light weights and FTS band exercises which isolate the small muscles around each joint will not only help prevent injury, but will directly improve performance throughout the season. If you were to do nothing more than the low-intensity strength work of early season training, the payoff in developing musculoskeletal resiliency and biomechanic efficiency will benefit you all year!

JOINT STABILITY

Joint stability describes the blend of proper flexibility and adequate strength necessary to maintain optimal joint alignment throughout a movement. When aligned properly at the joint, bones work as levers to multiply the force of muscle contraction. In running the proper alignment of joints will optimize performance by improving the forces you can generate on the ground, whereas misalignment of joints wastes tremendous amounts of energy and causes trauma and injury.

MUSCULOSKELETAL RESILIENCY

The tendons respond to the stress of the weight training by increasing in size and strength. This adaptation is not obvious on the outside but is part of what’s happening below the surface that is so important.

Likewise, the bones will become stronger through weight training as the muscle tug and stress the bones at the attachment of the tendon. Again this adaptation is critical to avoid injury later.

The Base Training weight program called the “Anatomical Adaptation Phase” must strengthen all of the often-neglected little muscles that surround joints. Typical unscientific training creates imbalances in these small stabilizing muscles throughout the training year. Base Training is where these imbalances must be corrected to avoid injury and optimize mechanics.

Since these are small muscles, the weights must be kept light. For example ankle, shoulder and hip exercises requires no more than 2-3 pounds weights to start. Using heavier weights will only cause the larger stronger muscles to substitute and “protect” the imbalance. Furthermore, light weights and high repetitions will stimulate strengthening of the tendons, fascia and bones while avoiding over training these structures. The result is a musculoskeletal system that is resilient to injury.

Weight training further enhances performance by training the nervous system to stimulate more efficient muscle contractions. Muscle fibers are called into action in recruitment patterns dictated by the nervous system. Weight training fast tracks improvements in this important aspect of sports performance by burning in these nerve-muscle connection patterns quicker than sport training does. In addition, efficient movement requires one muscle to relax while the opposing muscle contracts. Energy is wasted if this contraction-relaxation sequence is not seamless and smooth.

Weight training facilitates this coordination by creating strong nerve impulses to the muscle which creates more coordinated muscle function and thus facilitates good form. The caveats to early season weight training includes using weights that are too heavy, working muscles to fatigue, and not stretching before, during and after weight training sessions.

By exaggerating certain aspects of your running, specific drills will strengthen muscles, improve nerve recruitment patterns, and condition the mechanical components of your body. These drills should be done at low-intensity levels to start and only once per week until you are sure they are being tolerated. Drills require good flexibility and therefore stretching before and after is important to avoid injury. Basically, drills convert fitness you gain in the gym into functional gains in running.

SIDEBARS:

Base Training: Flexibility and Stretching

Benefits:

Stretching improves flexibility and therefore allows for correct mechanics or technique Stretching is crucial as part of your warm up to perform better and avoid injury Stretching after workouts improves recovery by “wringing” waste products out of the muscles and returning them to their normal resting length When:

Before and after every workout and competition

How:

Long sustained stretches 10-30 seconds in positions that relax the target muscle and allow for easy breathing How Hard (intensity)

Follow the subsiding tension principle by moving slow into the stretch position and tuning into the tension you feel in the muscle. If tic increases as you hold the same position you have over stretched and you need to back off. If it decreases you may advance the stretch slightly

How Many:

Stretch all muscle groups 3 repetitions

How Long:

Before and after workouts a 10-20 second hold is good, on the evening stretch problem areas lightly for 60 seconds each Base Training: Strength Work Benefits:

Increase Musculoskeletal resiliency (injury prevention)

Improve muscle fiber recruitment patterns to improve efficiency of muscle contractions

mprove relaxation of opposing muscle groups (antagonists) to improve coordination (better form)

Balance muscle strength around a joint to improve joint stability

When:

Two to three workouts per week per body part

How:

Moderate controlled movements of body part while exhaling on the lifting portion of the exercise and inhaling on the lowering portion of the exercise

Stop briefly at the end of each movement up and down

How Hard (intensity)

Use only light weights that you can perform twenty repetitions each set while avoiding lifting to exhaustion

THE SCIENCE OF PERFORMING IN THE HEAT

By CEO Robert Forster, PT

Exercise in extreme heat puts great stress on numerous physiological systems of the body. It can severely debilitate athletic performances, create bodily damage, illness and, in extreme cases, cause death. Knowing how the body reacts to heat can help you combat this environmental stress intelligently and prevent it from ruining your preparation for a great performance.

You have planned for months for the biggest triathlon race of the year. It is a true test of your fitness and the many hours of preparation you have invested in your training. NOW is the time when it is all supposed to come together for a great day of racing. On race day you barely notice it feels a little warmer than home because you are distracted with pre-race preparation. You are not accustomed to drinking from the tap so forego your usual jump on hydration but make a mental note to drink more at breakfast. You rush through breakfast and suddenly find yourself at the start a bit thirsty. You attribute the dry mouth to nerves but you are already sweating as the time for your wave to go off approaches. As you pummel your way through the crowded water it’s “water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink.”

In transition you take a few gulps of water but rush to get on the bike. As you settle in for the ride you hit the water bottle, as you are sweating more than usual due to the high humidity. You feel good and push past the aide stations as you sip your water bottle. Your time is good at the Â¾ mark but you notice your hamstrings are tight and there is a pain between your shoulders. You feel bloated and as you transition to the run you notice your water bottles have not been drained. You make another mental note to drink at the first aide station.

As you leave transition and the cheers fade you notice many competitors returning from the first loop of the run are wasted and walking. However, you become distracted when your right hamstring seizes into a painful spasm. “Oh, what’s that?” you say. As you stop to stretch then, BAM!, the left hamstring seizes. You start envisioning your day getting a lot worse as you see your great time quickly slipping away. You limp, rub and stretch your way to the finish line. You have been sabotaged by the heat!

The scene in the medical tent tells the story as IV bags hang next to each cot where exhausted, dejected athletes receive assistance. The medical team explains the typical scenario that played out on the course hoping an educated athlete is the best way to avoid a repeat of what turned out to be a disastrous day for so many. A few were even taken to the hospital suffering severe heat illness.

The doctor explains that exercise in extreme heat puts great stress on numerous physiological systems of the body. It can severely debilitate athletic performance, create bodily damage or illness and in extreme cases, even cause death. However, if an athlete is educated to how the body reacts to heat they can combat this sometimes unpredictable environmental stress intelligently with scientific measures to prevent it from ruining their preparation for a great performance.

He further explains that body temperature rises due to internal and external factors. Internally heat is generated during the metabolism of food sources as eighty percent of all energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins are eventually transformed to heat. Furthermore, muscular contractions produce heat, as does the mechanical friction of tendons and joints as they move thousands of times during the race. If this heat is not transported to the skin and dissipated to avoid overheating risk of multiple system failure builds quickly.

External factors play a role as well and while it is common knowledge that in warmer weather it is more difficult for the body to dissipate heat than in cooler weather few people realize that in very warm weather the body will gain heat from the environment. Since the skin temperature usually varies between 93°F and 98°F; when the air temperature is greater than 99°F the air actually heats the body more. Direct sunlight increases body temperature further when the body absorbs radiant heat. Humidity magnifies the effect of hot weather by rendering ineffective the very mechanism the body relies on to dissipate heat; i.e., sweating.

The Physiological Response to Heat

Receiving sensory feedback from body receptors both internal and external, the brain senses increased temperatures as a stress to homeostasis. The brain therefore orchestrates a far-reaching bodily response to dissipate heat in an attempt to maintain normal physiological function. This begins with the release of the stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, which set off a systematic series of events within the body to offset the heat. In an effort to dissipate heat from the working muscles and the core; blood is shunted by a magnitude of 30-40% from the internal organs to the skin and superficial muscles. However, this is not enough. The heart must increase the volume of blood pumped with each contraction (cardiac output) from 6 liters to 25 liters per minute to get more heat-carrying blood to the skin where it can be cooled. Simultaneously, the brain directs a decrease in kidney production of urine to spare fluids.

The cooling of blood near the skin occurs when millions of sweat glands located just below the surface increase sweat production to moisten the skin. The body is cooled when air moving over the skin evaporates the sweat taking heat with it. In hot, dry conditions sweat evaporation results in 85-90% of all heat dissipation during exercise. In humid conditions however, this efficient mechanism is handicapped as sweat is less likely to evaporate in the moist air. The sweating mechanism continues in vain to cool the body and quickly results in dehydration.

The Physiological Stress of Overheating

The body is very efficient at dissipating heat and under everyday conditions these mechanisms go a long way in preventing overheating. However, these physiological responses can be outpaced with sustained exercise in the heat. Nature apparently relies on the sensibility to stop laboring when one feels overheated. For athletes, soldiers and workers this is sometimes not an option and serious health problems can quickly arise. The circulatory system is taxed when excessive sweating depletes the volume of fluids in the blood and blood is shunted to the periphery. These events lead to a 20% decrease in the circulatory volume in the vascular system. The heart beats faster and harder to deliver the same amounts of nutrients and oxygen to the working muscles.

The cardiac and circulatory stress is further elevated by the loss of electrolytes in the copious amounts of sweat produced in hot weather. Electrolytes are essential to nerve impulses and the resulting muscular contractions that produce movement. Electrolyte depletion and the resulting breakdown in performance begin slowly but degrade quickly if intensity of exercise is not adjusted and electrolyte supplementation and re-hydration is not executed.

Further performance degradation occurs when overheating causes a shift in muscular metabolism from fats (aerobic) to carbohydrates (anaerobic) energy production. Carbohydrate metabolism however produces fatigue associated with lactic acid production. Carbohydrate stores are quickly depleted leading toward total system shutdown called “bonking.”

Prevention of Overheating and Performance Degradation

The prevention of overheating problems during exercise begins in the Base Training Phase of your training (see Triathlon January ’04 issue) where improved fat burning capacity of muscles diminishes the detrimental effects of the unfavorable shift in muscle metabolism from fats to carbohydrates. Early season strength training and skill developing drills improve efficiency of joint stability and movement. Together these athletic attributes prevent unnecessary heat production associated with wasted motion.

Later in the season specific heat acclimation measures will greatly improve your capacity to perform in the heat. (see Heat Acclimation at the end of the article)

Proper Hydration and Supplementation for Prevention of Heat Illness

Staying well hydrated at all times maintains the quality of performance in workouts and competition. 24 – 36 hours prior to the race you should be hydrating and liberally salting foods. Pre-hydration is critical in the prevention of heat related problems. At least two hours before exercise drink 20 ounces of fluid with electrolytes and carbohydrates in a 10% concentration to increase absorption rates. Cold fluids are absorbed quicker than room temperature beverages.

During exercise sweat loss can range from .8 to 1.4 liters per hour and therefore dictates replenish rates of similar volumes. However, the rate that fluids leave the stomach is .8 to 1.2 liters. So, to prevent bloating or the potentially deadly condition of electrolyte imbalance called hyponatremia; hydrate with volumes that do not exceed your absorption rates and always use electrolyte replacement drinks vs. plain water before and during long bouts of exercise.

Catastrophic heat related effects on your performance can best be avoided with knowledge of how heat stresses the body and intelligent scientific training methods that include proper Base Training and disciplined hydration and supplementation practices. Now – go enjoy the day!

A good general guideline would be to consume a sports drink and/or electrolyte supplementation containing 200-500 milligrams of sodium chloride per hour. At the first sign of cramping or performance degradation reduce your pace, drink liberally and supplement with electrolytes or salty foods immediately. You may be able to salvage the day.

Heat Acclimation

Gradual heat acclimation improves your capacity for performing in the heat by creating these adaptive responses with full acclimation occurring with 14 consecutive days of training in the heat.

Increased blood plasma volume by 3-27%

Decreased heart rates by 15-25%

Improved sweat sensitivity and sweat rates by 200%

Decreased electrolyte loss through sweat and urine

Simulated heat training can be achieved by exercising in warm clothes or in a warm room (not a sauna). Intensity must be at least 50% of VO2 max and gradually build up to 90-100 minutes.

Robert Forster, PT is the founder of Forster Physical Therapy and PHASE IV: A Scientific Training & Performance Center, both located in Santa Monica, CA. He has over 35 years of experience treating elite athletes such as Allyson Felix, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Gail Devers, Florence Griffith Joyner, Pete Sampras, Maria Sherapova & others. He can be reached at 310-656-8600

FOUR REASONS TO TRY SLOW EXERCISE

Source: news.com.au March 4, 2017

Forget about HIIT classes and bootcamp, you don’t need to put yourself through hell to get fit. Here’s why low intensity workouts are better.

HIGH Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is all the rage these days, but is it really any better than traditional cardio? While it may churn through body fat at a faster rate, research also shows it’s less enjoyable, with poor adherence rates for those trying to lose weight. The best exercise is the one you do consistently and stick to long-term. Enter Lower Intensity Steady State cardio, or LISS for short. This is basically the opposite of HIIT and is defined as exercise that elevates your heart rate to 40 — 50% of your estimated max (calculated by 220 — age), or exercise at a level where you can talk and sing comfortably. Belting out your favourite tunes while you exercise is definitely a bonus, but there are many circumstances where LISS is actually better for you. Here are four reasons why you should opt for a lower intensity workout:

YOU’RE JUST STARTING OUT

If you’re new to fitness, it’s important to gradually build up your exercise regimen to let your body adjust. Going too hard too soon can increase your risk of injury, such as stress fractures, muscle strains, inflamed tendons, and plantar fasciitis. Bypass the bootcamps for now and focus on building a base of fitness instead by accumulating at least 30 minutes of cardio a day such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming and doing plenty of stretches after to stay injury free.

YOU DON’T ENJOY HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING

It’s a complete myth that you need to run or get your heart rate ridiculously high to reap the benefits of exercise. According to a study in the Journal of Sports Science Medicine, moderate intensity steady state cardio, like brisk walking, provides the same heart health benefits as HIIT, but is much more enjoyable. Some easy ways to make exercise more fun is to buddy up with a friend or partner, listen to your favourite music, or head outside for a walk in nature. Finding joy in movement will ensure you keep up the habit throughout your lifetime, which is the ultimate goal.

YOUR BODY AND BRAIN ARE STRESSED

Stress can come in many different forms, but two of the most common are mental stress from work, and physical stress from lots of intense exercise. Both of these lead to chronically high levels of a hormone called cortisol, which can lead to increases in blood pressure, weight gain around your waist, and a suppressed immune system. The good news is that you aren’t powerless against stress, and engaging in some mind-body forms of exercise like pilates, Tai Chi, or yoga, will boost your mood, health, and energy levels while lowering cortisol.

YOU WANT TO TAKE IT EASY ON YOUR JOINTS

Let’s face it pounding the pavement with long runs or lots of box jumps in Crossfit aren’t exactly kind to knees, ankles, or hips. That’s why it’s important to include lower impact exercise into your weekly routine. One or two active rest days where you go for a light swim, or walk will give your body sufficient time to recover between high intensity sessions. It’s during this time that your muscles, bones, ligaments and tendons repair so you’re fitter and stronger next time you hit the gym. While LISS is kinder to your body long term, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy HIIT training from time to time. Just be sure to listen to your body, and switch to lower impact options if you start to feel exhausted instead of energized from your workout routine.

7 Ways to Put Spring into Your Health

The University Of Tennessee

With the change of season comes the impulse to clean and replace the old with the new. But spring doesn’t just have to be about cleaning and reorganizing – it’s also a great way to start healthy new habits and break the old. Here are a few tips to get a head start in your spring health!

Start an Exercise Routine – The weather is warm and the days are longer which makes it a perfect combination to get active outside. The American Heart Association recommends that individuals do moderate exercise for at least 150 minutes per week, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise.

Revamp Your Diet with Fresh Fruits and Vegetables – Take advantage of the variety of vegetables available during spring. A healthy diet includes adding vegetables and fruit every day. Vegetables like broccoli, green beans, leafy greens, zucchini, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, and tomatoes are low in calories and high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Try to eat about 3 to 5 servings every day. Fruit is also a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. You should try to eat about 2 to 3 servings of fruit each day. It goes without being said that its OK to indulge in the occasional ice cream cone. Although, frozen yogurt would be a healthier alternative.

Drink More Water – As the heat kicks into high gear it is harder to stay hydrated and more important to drink more water. Drink plenty of water before going outside and have plenty on-hand to stay hydrated. If you aren’t a fan of water, try one of our recipes for Cucumber Water—it makes a great party beverage for those hot days!

Cut Out the Night Cap – If one of your habits is having a drink before bed, or having a few at dinner, you may want to reconsider your next glass of Merlot. Alcohol not only causes dehydration, but is also associated with sleep disorders, high blood pressure and certain types of cancer. It is recommended that women limit themselves to one drink per day, and men up to two alcoholic beverages each day.

Check In for a Check Up – You may have chalked up some symptoms and illnesses to the winter blues, but now that it is spring, its time to get back to the doctor for a head-to-toe check up! A periodic well-exam for all ages is not just about good medical care, but it also gives you the opportunity to learn more about beneficial health habits, counseling and community support services as well as an overall view of the best ways to take care of yourself and your family for a lifetime. Your doctor will let you know how often they need to test for high blood pressure, diabetes, other diseases, and cancer screenings.

Protect Your Skin – Its going to get hot, the sun is shining, and your skin needs protection. Not only do men and women need to regularly moisturize their skin, but also protect it from the harsh rays of the sun. If you’re outside, make sure to use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher that protects against UVA and UVB rays. It doesn’t hurt to throw on a pair of sunglasses and hat as well!

Renew Relationships – It’s time to get out of the house and visit with your friends and family. Research has shown that good, strong relationships benefit your overall health and happiness. Spend the day with people you love, and schedule regular outings to enjoy the great spring weather.

RESOURCE: https://www.utmedicalcenter.org/healthy-tips/94/7-ways-to-put-spring-into-your-health/

EXERCISE ALTERS OUR MICROBIOME

Exercise Alters Our Microbiome. Is That One Reason It’s So Good for Us?

From: Phys Ed

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS JAN. 3, 2018

Exercise may change the composition and activity of the trillions of microbes in our guts in ways that could improve our health and metabolisms over time, a new study finds.

The results provide novel insights into how exercise can affect even those portions of our bodies that seem uninvolved in workouts, perhaps providing another nudge to stick with our exercise resolutions this year.

I think we all have heard by now that each of us contains a pulsating little universe of bacteria within our guts. This microbiome includes countless different species of microbes in varying proportions that interact, compete and busily release various substances that are implicated in weight control, inflammation, immune responses and many other aspects of health throughout our bodies.

In broad terms, our microbiomes tend to be relatively stable, most studies show. But our microbiomes can change as our lifestyles do. Diet clearly affects the makeup of a person’s microbiome, as do illness, certain drugs, how much we weigh and other factors.

Exercise also has been associated with variations in the microbiome. Past studies have shown that endurance athletes tend to have a somewhat different collection of microbes within their intestines than sedentary people do, especially if the athletes are lean and the sedentary people are not.

But those studies have been associational and could not show whether exercise actually altered microbes or how any microbial changes might later affect health.

So for the new study, which was published in November in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign decided to track the guts of people who undertook an unfamiliar exercise routine.

The study was designed, in fact, as a follow-up to an earlier, interesting animal study by the same scientists. In that work, the researchers had allowed some lab mice to run and others to sit around for most of their adult lives. Gut material from the mice was then transplanted into animals that had been bred to be germ-free, so that their guts would easily incorporate these new tribes of bacteria. After the animals’ microbiomes were established, the scientists exposed the mice to a substance that can cause tissue irritation and inflammation in the colon.

The scientists found that the animals with gut bugs from the runners were better able to resist and heal tissue damage and tamp down inflammation than those whose microbes had come from sedentary mice.

Now the scientists wished to see if exercise would likewise affect the functioning of microbes in people.

They began by recruiting 32 men and women who did not exercise. About half were obese and the rest of normal weight.

The scientists took blood and fecal samples and tested everyone’s aerobic fitness. Then they had the men and women begin supervised workouts, during which their efforts increased over time from about 30 minutes of easy walking or cycling to about an hour of vigorous jogging or pedaling three times per week.

The volunteers were asked not to change their normal diets.

After six weeks, the scientists collected more samples and retested everyone, and then asked the volunteers to stop exercising altogether.

Six weeks later, the tests were once again repeated.

The subsequent analysis showed that the volunteers’ gut bugs had changed throughout the experiment, with some increasing in numbers and others declining. The researchers also found changes in the operations of many microbes’ genes. Some of those genes were working harder now, while others had grown silent.

Most of these changes were not shared from one person to the next. Everyone’s gut responded uniquely to exercise.

But there were some similarities, the researchers found. In particular, they noted widespread increases in certain microbes that can help to produce substances called short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids are believed to aid in reducing inflammation in the gut and the rest of the body. They also work to fight insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes, and otherwise bolster our metabolisms.

Most of the volunteers had larger concentrations of these short-chain fatty acids in their intestines after exercise, along with the microbes that produce them.

These increases were greatest, though, among the volunteers who had begun the experiment lean compared to those who were obese, the scientists found.

And perhaps not surprisingly, almost all of the changes in people’s guts dissipated after six weeks of not exercising. By and large, their microbiomes reverted to what they had been at the study’s start.

Still, the study’s overall results suggest that even a few weeks of exercise can alter the makeup and function of people’s microbiomes, says Jeffrey Woods, a professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois who conducted the study, along with his doctoral student Jacob Allen (now a postdoctoral researcher at Ohio State University) and others.

In theory, Dr. Woods continues, these changes could contribute to some of the broader health benefits of exercise, such as its ability to reduce inflammation throughout the body.

“But more studies need to be done to prove this,” he says.

He also hopes that future research can explain why the obese volunteers showed smaller gains in their fatty-acid producing microbes than the leaner men and women. Additional study could also help to determine whether and how people’s microbiomes might continue to change if they exercise for longer than six weeks — a goal that all of us, of course, have resolved to do in the coming year, right?

A version of this article appears in print on January 9, 2018, on Page D4 of the New York edition with the headline: Gut Bacteria Need Exercise, Too. Order Reprints

The Biggest Loser Study

How the Biggest Loser permanently ruins participants’ metabolism

Posted June 30, 2016 by Peter Janiszewski, Ph.D. in News, nutrition, Obesity Research, Peer Reviewed Research, Physical Activity

The Biggest Loser has received a healthy dose of backlash from the medical community over recent years; all of it well deserved.

If you haven’t seen the show (I admit I’ve only seen an episode or two), essentially a number of individuals with morbid obesity sign up to go through a grueling program of starvation combined with insane volumes of exercise in the hopes of winning some cash for losing a bunch of weight. They get pushed abused by their ‘trainers’ all week, only to endure the humiliation of being weighed in front of millions of viewers. At the end of the 30 week period, contestants often lose astounding amounts of body weight; WAY beyond what any respectable health authority would ever recommend.

This all makes for a very popular reality TV show.

But what happens to these contestants after they are done with the show and the drill-sergeant trainers aren’t there to scream at them to exercise for hours while subsisting on grapefruit?

A recent study published in the journal Obesity (read the whole article for free) sought to evaluate exactly this question by checking in with 14 Biggest Loser participants some 6 years after they appeared on the show.

First thing to note is that on average these participants lost an astounding 58.3 ± 24.9 kg during the 30 week competition.

As the human body is really good at maintaining equilibrium (and keeping you alive), it does something interesting but unfortunate when significant weight loss occurs: it reduces the number of calories it burns. In effect, it becomes more efficient with energy in order to prevent what physiologically is happening: starvation. This process is called metabolic adaptation.

So how much can such a tremendous weight loss impact one’s daily metabolic rate?

At the end of the competition, the participants’ resting metabolic rate (energy you burn while doing nothing) decreased by 610 ± 483 kcal/day.

Such a change would most definitely make subsequent weight loss more challenging despite the same commitment to starvation and exercise.

Not surprisingly, 6 years after appearing on television, 13 of 14 participants regained some, all, or in excess of the weight they had lost during the show; 5 participants were at their original weight or higher.

But had their metabolism also gone back to normal along with their body weight?

Unfortunately, no. In fact, 6 years later they were still burning approximately 700kcals less per day that when then started on the show. This means that just to maintain their weight, they have to expend an extra 700 kcals or reduce their consumption by 700 kcals over what they were doing before. Their energy expenditure was approximately 500 kcal lower than you’d normally expect for a person with these demographics and measurements.

This suggests that while the weight loss achieved with the Biggest Loser is most certainly not permanent, the damage done to the underlying physiology of energy homeostasis is.

This doesn’t even address the fact that such drastic lifestyle changes are completely unsustainable.

Peter

Reference:

Fothergill et al. Persistent metabolic adaptation 6 years after “The Biggest Loser” competition. 2016 Obesity

SHIN SPLINTS

Shin Splints: Anatomy and Function

By Robert Forster, PT

Excerpt: Healthy Running Step by Step, The Complete WaterPower Workout Book

The term shin splints is a catchall phrase that refers to nearly all pain in the lower leg except calf and Achilles tendon injuries. There are two types: anterior shin splints and medial shin splints.

Anterior shin splints appear as pain in the fleshy muscle in the front of the lower leg. Although this injury is common when runners first begin running after a layoff, it is rarely serious or persistent.

Medial shin splints (technically termed a periostitis), which appear on the inside border of the lower leg bone (tibia), are much worse. They occur from overpronation when you run too far too soon, straining tendons that attach to the tibia and pulling the periosteum, the paper-thin tissue covering of all bones, away from the shin bone.

Shin Splints

When you move your body forward over a weight- bearing foot, the toes are extended and lifted upward, winding the plantar fascia taut like a skin over a drum. This action helps transform the foot from a flexible structure able to adapt to variations in the walking surface, to a rigid lever that supports the foot while it’s on the ground, by limiting the degree that the arch collapses as the body moves forward over the foot.

A quick anatomy lesson may help explain what’s happening here: Muscles deep in the back of the calf function to slow down the forward progression of the tibia over the foot in the stance phase of running. The tendons of these deep flexor muscles attach either directly to the medial border of the tibia or indirectly by way of tether-like structures. When they fatigue they begin to function poorly, the tendons become in inflamed (tendonitis), and they pull the periosteum covering away from the bone and create acute pain (periostitis).

How You Feel the Pain

Typically, shin-splint pain will first appear at the end of long runs or after extended efforts. Soon, the pain will appear earlier in the workout and sometimes abate as you warm up, only to return toward the end of the workout. As time goes on, the pain will spill over into walking and standing during activities of daily living. Occasionally, runners will pull up (stop due to pain) during workouts and racing with a complete fracture of the tibia.

How the Injury Happens

The most common mechanical running error is overstriding. By definition, when you overstride you take too few steps per minute; therefore, your foot spends too much time in contact with the ground during each step. If you are an over- pronator, this extended period on the ground (what we call the stance phase) allows the foot to pronate to a greater degree than it otherwise would with quicker steps. The result is that the deep flexor muscles of the calf remain engaged for just a few milliseconds too long with each step. Mile after mile, this fatigues the muscles. As they begin to operate dysfunctionally, their tendons become damaged, and as they lose their elastic properties, they pull the periosteum off the bone.

Rehabilitation Techniques

In addition to treating the inflammation in the bones and the tendons with regular icing, it is imperative to break up the scar tissue and build up the muscles deep in the calf with foam roller work while progressing through the stretching and strengthening program.

However, the single most important factor for the resolution of this injury and to prevent re-injury is to increase your running cadence (i.e., increase the number of steps you take per minute).

More steps per minute reduce the amount of time the muscles in the calf have to work each step and limit their load by limiting the degree of pronation. In addition, a light self-grip wrap around the shin bone will provide a compression force to help the periosteum re-adhere to the tibia bone.

If the pain is bilateral (i.e., in both legs), then the causative factors in th e development of the shin splints are both overpronation and over-striding. If the pain is unilateral, then it is likely the painful side is the long leg, which is over-pronating in an effort to even out your leg lengths during weight bearing. This will have to be corrected to resolve the shin splint along with an increase in running cadence.

Summary

If you are running the marathon, your shin splints need to be evaluated immediately. Local icing and PT treatment at the painful site will help, but ultimately we need to address cadence, mechanics, and leg length discrepancy for total resolution of the problem. We will fix your injury and teach you prescription stretching and strengthen exercises to correct your alignment and work with you to prevent shin splints.

Call Forster Physical Therapy for your free evaluation: 310-656-8600

Remember, California law allows you to go directly to Forster PT without first seeing a doctor for a referral.

WEIGHT LOSS AND MARATHON TRAINING

Weight Loss and Marathon Training

If your marathon training is motivated by the desire to improve your body image, you are not alone. I would say most of the marathoners I meet desire to achieve a more ideal body weight, and weight loss is a very legitimate goal for health and performance. If you are not losing weight with all your marathon training, you are training at the wrong pace, or following the wrong diet.

Performance in the marathon comes down to a key ratio between your body strength and your weight. Or in plain speak, how well your muscles can propel your body forward. There are two ways to improve your power to body weight ratio. You can increase your leg strength with a resistance-training program, https://phase-iv.com/strength-training-for-marathoners/ , you can lose body fat, or both.

While a developing a proper strength-training regime specifically for runners takes some careful consideration in design and execution, losing body fat should occur naturally with all the training hours involved with marathon preparation.

Weight Loss Myths

Most of the clients who come to us for weight loss are eating too little and working too hard to lose weight. Weight loss is not about calorie restriction, it is more about what you eat and the pace at which you train. The calories you burn during a workout are inconsequential to your body weight. Most, if not all, of the calories you burn while training must be replaced for you to recover and fuel your next workout. Instead, it is how effectively you use your workouts to reprogram your physiology to burn more calories 24/7.

Now it is easier than ever to achieve your ideal body weight while training for the marathon.

Conquering the “Fit but Fat Syndrome”

The Fit But Fat Syndrome is a result of ill advised training programs dictated by whim and not science, reliance on sports bars and drinks, working harder and harder, not smarter, too many intense workouts creating a metabolism dependent on carbohydrates not fats, inadequate base training, and calorie restriction causing your metabolism to idle.

At PHASE IV we teach you to achieve your ideal performance body weight and how to unlock the mysteries of your personal physiology. We re-engineer your sports nutrition so it is working for you not against you, and we optimize your fat burning potential with heart rate specific exercise intensities. With the perfect balance of metabolic training and recovery, your body will learn to burn fat all day long. Finally, through metabolic testing we determine the exact calories needed to fuel your workouts and lifestyle while managing your weight.

The calories you burn during workouts are inconsequential to your overall body weight or body fat content! Instead, it is how well you use your exercise time to reprogram your daily physiology that matters. The “Fit But Fat” Syndrome is attributable to improper training schedules and heart rate intensities that reek hormonal havoc! How hard you train, when you train, and how you schedule your workouts, all effect the production of stress hormones. Use the value of targeted heart rate training, proper nutrition, and strength training to conquer the “Fit But Fat” Syndrome!

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